Horizen is creating an ecosystem with a censorship-resistant peer-to-peer network owned by its users, permissionless in participation, and constructed with incentives for endogenous growth.

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Horizen is , , and .

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Horizen’s goal is to create a sidechain system that enables real-world applications to be mapped on a fully distributed, secure, privacy-preserving blockchain architecture, and sharing the use of ZEN as a well established and tradable token with real value. Such a system will allow developers the creation of decentralized applications implemented as sidechains to the Horizen main blockchain with their own logic and data.

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=== History ===

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The Horizen project was launched in May 2017 as “ZenCash” founded by Rob Viglione and Rolf Versluis. Originally created to provide a peer-to-peer economic system for money, media, and messaging, it was rebranded as “Horizen” in July 2018. The team expanded its market focus to general-purpose blockchain systems in October 2019 upon the alpha release of the Horizen Sidechain System and SDK.

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== Horizen (ZEN) Review ==

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Horizen a of . Horizen and to and . a of . , ,

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Horizen was forked from ZClassic (ZCL), which was derived from ZCash (ZEC), which was originally a clone of Bitcoin (BTC). Horizen had no pre-mine and did not conduct an ICO. The project was created to provide security and privacy. It has a fixed lifetime amount of 21 million coins. Horizen is currently listed on [[Binance]], [[Bittrex]], [[OKEx]], and [[Cryptopia]] [[exchanges]] among others.

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=== Privacy ===

=== Privacy ===

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With the goal of ensuring full privacy, anonymity, and safety of its users, Horizen uses the following protocols: zk-SNARKS, TLS integration, domain fronting, distributed publishing, client-to-node encryption, and end-to-end encryption. These technologies allow users to select the desired level of transparency for their digital assets and communications.

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With the goal of ensuring privacy and safety of its users, Horizen uses the following protocols: zk-SNARKS, TLS integration, domain fronting, distributed publishing, client-to-node encryption, and end-to-end encryption. These technologies allow users to select the desired level of transparency for their digital assets and communications.

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In addition to the coin, ZEN, the Horizen platform includes the ability to privately chat with others through the Sphere by Horizen App and, eventually, the ability to enable users to publish information and go anywhere on the web with complete privacy.

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===Mining===

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for , for , , . by . .

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To raise funds for current development and security improvements, Horizen has changed the algorithm for the distribution of mining rewards, which now exists in ZClassic:

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* 88% of the reward (which will be 12.5 ZEN per block), will remain miners.

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* 5% is provided for financing of one or more [[The DAO|DAO]].

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* 3.5% of the reward for the block will be received by the operators of protected [[node]]s (Secure Node). 3.5% will go to the funding of the Horizen Core team.

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===Wallets===

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There are a number of official wallets for Horizen storage, including versions for Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Android, and iOS. Official wallets include Sphere by Horizen, Swing Wallet, Horizen Core, Arizen, MyZenWallet, Zen Wallet, and Paper Wallet. Third-party wallets are available as well, including a Horizen-branded CoolWallet, Coinomi, and Ledger.

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===Roadmap===

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The Horizen project’s focus on privacy doesn’t equate with opacity. On the opposite, the candid openness of the project is illustrated in the open Roadmap available on their website. As its name says, the focus here is on development, not on marketing or promotion activities.

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The Horizen project’s focus on privacy doesn’t equate with opacity. On the opposite, the candid openness of the project is emblematically illustrated in the open Roadmap available on their website. As its name says, the focus here is on development, not on marketing or promotion activities.

=== Leadership ===

=== Leadership ===

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Rob Vilgione, Co-Founder and President, holds an MBA in Finance and Marketing, with a PMP certification, and is a Ph.D Candidate in Finance at the University of South Carolina researching cryptofinance and teaching “Bitcoin & Blockchain Applications in Finance.” He is a former physicist, mercenary mathematician, and military officer with experience in satellite radar, space launch vehicles, and combat support intelligence. Viglione was first deployed to Afghanistan in 2013 as a data scientist for the U.S. Army. His contributions within the crypto space include being part of Zclassic’s core team, support to the Bitshares project, heading up BlockPay’s U.S. and Canada Ambassador program, and consulting for Bitgate.

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Rob , Co-Founder and President, holds an MBA in Finance and Marketing, with a PMP certification, and is a Ph.DCandidate in Finance at the University of South Carolina researching and teaching “Bitcoin & Blockchain Applications in Finance.” He is a former physicist, mercenary mathematician, and military officer with experience in satellite radar, space launch vehicles, and combat support intelligence. Viglione was first deployed to Afghanistan in 2013 as a data scientist for the U.S. Army. His contributions within the crypto space include being part of Zclassic’s core team, support to the Bitshares project, heading up BlockPay’s U.S. and Canada Ambassador program, and consulting for Bitgate.

Rolf Versluis, Co-Founder and Executive Advisor, is an Electrical Engineering graduate from the United States Naval Academy and has served as a US Navy nuclear submarine officer operating out of Hawaii. Versluis has also gained management and leadership experience from running a mid-sized IT company in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition to his role with Horizen, Versluis operates a private cryptocurrency mining facility with hundreds of operational systems and hosts a blog and YouTube channel on crypto mining.

Rolf Versluis, Co-Founder and Executive Advisor, is an Electrical Engineering graduate from the United States Naval Academy and has served as a US Navy nuclear submarine officer operating out of Hawaii. Versluis has also gained management and leadership experience from running a mid-sized IT company in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition to his role with Horizen, Versluis operates a private cryptocurrency mining facility with hundreds of operational systems and hosts a blog and YouTube channel on crypto mining.

=== IOHK Partnership ===

=== IOHK Partnership ===

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In an effort to rapidly address scalability, performance, and security challenges, Horizen partnered with IOHK, a technology company known for creating innovative peer-to-peer solutions for financial transactions. Leading the IOHK partnership is Professor Roman Oliynykov, a Ukrainian cryptographer, IT researcher, and IOHK Research Fellow.<ref>[http://allcoinsnews.com/2018/01/11/zencash-and-iohk-partnership-advances-private-borderless-transactions/ ZenCash and IOHK Partnership Advances Private, Borderless Transactions]</ref>

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=== Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) Treasury ===

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Horizen is governed by the Zen Blockchain Foundation. Treasury funds (8.5%) are automatically set aside for development, support, and marketing.

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=== Milestones ===

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== Milestones ==

* May 2017 – Zen blockchain is launched with ZenCash as the first product.

* May 2017 – Zen blockchain is launched with ZenCash as the first product.

Horizen Academy is a free and open service designed for educating all levels of learners interested in blockchain technology. Users can choose between three levels, beginner, advanced, and expert, to learn more about privacy, technology, and the Horizen platform. Horizen Acadamy also features articles on the general history of blockchain and cryptocurrencies. For more information, visit https://academy.horizen.global/.

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==Horizen hack by 51% attack==

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Horizen (ZEN) has become a new victim of “[[51% attack]]”. According to the official statement of the developers, on June 2, hackers carried out at least 3 repeated spending in the cryptocurrency network.

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To carry out a” 51% attack ” hackers need to take over most of the network hashrate, which will give them the opportunity to reorganize the blockchain, forcing the network to accept false blocks. Usually the attacker monetize “51 attack” via [[double–spending]]. This can be done by placing coins on the crypto exchange, making a transaction with the same amount of coins on the wallet under their control. As soon as the exchange shall transfer their funds, they translate them into bitcoin or another cryptocurrency, and then out through the other purse.

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After the withdrawal of funds, hackers reorganize the official blockchain, forcing it to take a longer fork. Funds disappear from the wallet of the exchange, appearing on the wallet of the hacker. In this particular case, the hacker made 3 double expenses, including one that reorganized the blockchain into as many as 38 blocks. In total, the hackers brought more than 23,152 ZEN worth about $700,000 at the time of the attack. In recent weeks, [[Bitcoin Gold]], Monacoin and Verge (twice) have been affected by the “51% attack”. The cost of carrying out an attack against many altcoins is low, especially given that the hashrate can be rented to the so-called “cloud services”.

Horizen (ZEN) – is a blockchain ecosystem that strives to empower and reward everyone for their contributions. Horizen’s massively scalable platform enables businesses and developers to quickly and affordably create their own public or private blockchains on the largest node network in the industry. Horizen’s Sidechain SDK provides all the necessary components for fast and easy deployment of a fully customizable blockchain.

ZEN is the native cryptocurrency of the Horizen. It offers optional privacy features that allow users to control their digital footprint.

The Horizen project was launched as ZenCash by Rob Viglione and Rolf Versluis in May 2017. Originally created to provide a peer-to-peer economic system for money, media, and messaging, it was rebranded as “Horizen” in July 2018. The team expanded its market focus to general-purpose blockchain systems in October 2019 upon the alpha release of the Horizen Sidechain System and Sidechain SDK.

Horizen had no pre-mine and did not conduct an ICO. It has a fixed lifetime amount of 21 million coins. The primary differentiator for Horizen is its unique sidechain design. The design includes cross-chain transfer mechanisms and each sidechain is mainchain agnostic, meaning that they operate independently from the mainchain. This keeps the mainchain secure from potential malicious sidechains.

Horizen is currently listed on Binance, Bittrex, OKEx, and Cryptopia exchanges among others.

Horizen seeks to empower people and bring the world together through technology and economic incentives to generate a robust and sustainable ecosystem. They focus heavily on R&D and community development.

Horizen sidechains are a scaling solution that enables the connection of bespoke blockchains to the Horizen mainchain. Horizen sidechains can be created with any programming language and consensus mechanism while retaining the ability to communicate information and value back to the Horizen mainchain’s network. Each sidechain is a full blockchain application that requires the implementation of consensus, network layer, wallet, history, and many other pieces. Most sidechains, beyond their specific logic and data, can be based on the same implementation.

Horizen provides a Sidechain SDK that addresses most of these aspects and includes all necessary components required for building a blockchain in a single toolbox.

With the goal of ensuring the privacy and safety of its users, Horizen uses the following protocols: zk-SNARKS, TLS integration, domain fronting, distributed publishing, client-to-node encryption, and end-to-end encryption. These technologies allow users to select the desired level of transparency for their digital assets and communications.

In addition to the coin, ZEN, the Horizen platform includes the ability to privately chat with others through the Sphere by Horizen App.

Horizen is governed by the Zen Blockchain Foundation. Treasury funds (20%) are automatically set aside for development, support, and marketing. Horizen is building a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) as a voting mechanism to determine the allocation of treasury funds in the future.

Horizen Academy is a free and open service designed for educating all levels of learners interested in blockchain technology. Users can choose between three levels, beginner, advanced, and expert, to learn more about privacy, technology, and the Horizen platform. Horizen Academy also features articles on the general history of blockchain and cryptocurrencies.

There are a number of wallets for ZEN storage, including versions for Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Android, and iOS. Official wallets include Sphere by Horizen, Swing Wallet, MyZenWallet, Zen Wallet, and Paper Wallet. Third-party wallets are available as well, including a Horizon-branded CoolWallet, Coinomi, and Ledger.

The Horizen project’s focus on privacy doesn’t equate with opacity. On the opposite, the candid openness of the project is illustrated in the open Roadmap available on their website. As its name says, the focus here is on development, not on marketing or promotion activities.

Rob Viglione, Co-Founder and President, holds an MBA in Finance and Marketing, with a PMP certification, and is a Ph.D. Candidate in Finance at the University of South Carolina researching crypto finance and teaching “Bitcoin & Blockchain Applications in Finance.” He is a former physicist, mercenary mathematician, and military officer with experience in satellite radar, space launch vehicles, and combat support intelligence. Viglione was first deployed to Afghanistan in 2013 as a data scientist for the U.S. Army. His contributions within the crypto space include being part of Zclassic’s core team, support to the Bitshares project, heading up BlockPay’s U.S. and Canada Ambassador program, and consulting for Bitgate.

Rolf Versluis, Co-Founder and Executive Advisor, is an Electrical Engineering graduate from the United States Naval Academy and has served as a US Navy nuclear submarine officer operating out of Hawaii. Versluis has also gained management and leadership experience from running a mid-sized IT company in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition to his role with Horizen, Versluis operates a private cryptocurrency mining facility with hundreds of operational systems and hosts a blog and YouTube channel on crypto mining.

To rapidly address scalability, performance, and security challenges, Horizen partnered with IOHK, a technology company known for creating innovative peer-to-peer solutions for financial transactions. Leading the IOHK partnership is Professor Roman Oliynykov, a Ukrainian cryptographer, IT researcher, and IOHK Research Fellow.[1]

in June, 2018, Horizen (ZEN) saw more than $500,000 hacked from an exchange in a “51% attack”. Horizen developers quickly implemented a deterrent against potential future 51% attacks. Horizen’s 51% attack algorithm introduces penalties for delayed blocks – those that are broadcast to the network a long time after the latest block. The design is an adaptation of Nakamoto’s longest chain rule.

Horizen’s 51% attack prevention is open-sourced and at least one other blockchain project uses it.